Mitt Romney to Announce Utah Senate Campaign Thursday: Sources

Published at 9:25 AM CST on Feb 14, 2018

Receive the latest politics updates in your inbox

In this January 19, 2018, file photo, former Massachusetts Governor and Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is interviewed at the Silicon Slopes Tech Conference in Salt Lake City, Utah, amid reports Romney was interested in running for the Utah Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Orrin Hatch.

Mitt Romney is set to release a video message Thursday announcing his campaign for the Utah Senate seat soon to be vacated by Republican Orrin Hatch, two people close to Romney told NBC News.

The former presidential nominee and Massachusetts governor will follow that up with a campaign speech Friday at the Utah County Lincoln Day dinner Friday night, the sources said.

Hatch announced in January that he would be retiring at the end of his term, and Romney was reportedly interested in filling the seat.

And on Feb. 1, Romney said on social media that he would have a Feb. 15 announcement about the Utah Senate race.

President Is ‘Sad’ to See Hatch Go

During the first White House briefing of the new year, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders addressed President Trump's views on Sen. Orrin Hatch announcing his retirement, protests in Iran, and putting "maximum pressure" on North Korea